AfriGeneas Free Persons of Color Forum

Moran in IN/IL--FPOC Family???

Hi~
I am searching for any information on a Moran family that was primarily (from what I can tell) in Indiana and Illinois. My 4th great grandmother was Laurilla Jane (Moran) Bannister. She was born about 1826 in Indiana. Her father was Richard Moran (born about 1796-1797 in Kentucky). Her mother was born in Pennsylvania (according to census records, however, I have no name or approximate year of birth for her. By 1870—when I first find Laurilla’s father and siblings in census records, no wife is in the home and in 1880 Richard is listed as widowed). Laurilla (who usually went by Jane) was married in 1850 to James Bannister (Dearborn County, Indiana). Laurilla’s siblings were:
• Rush, born about 1827 in Indiana,
• Bimey(?), born about 1834 in Indiana,
• Richard Jr. born about 1841 in Indiana and
• Julia born about 1842 in Indiana.
This family is found in both 1870 and 1880 in Iroquois County, Illinois. I am not sure when they left Indiana and I am assuming that Laurilla was not the oldest child (just based on how old Richard would have been in 1826). This was a Mulatto family with Laurilla being listed as “light m” in 1860 (her name was spelled Lawrilla Banister and her husband is listed with the abbreviation of James[Jas]). I have found it interesting that I find Laurilla with her husband and children in the 1860 census, however, have not found her father and siblings.

I was recently supplied with information through a posting from the main forum that the Moran family was in Dearborn County, Indiana in 1850 and that Richard's wife's name was Mary.

I am now beginning to wonder about their status. Since they are found as early as the 1850 census, were they FPOC? I have also located information regarding land purchases that I think may pertain to Richard in Iroquois County, Illinois in 1853, it is posted below: